ASC's Distribution Management Center welcomes new commander

Maj. Gen. John Wharton, commanding general of Army Sustainment Command and Rock Island Arsenal, passes the DMC guidon to incoming Distribution Management Center commander, Col. William Krahling, at a change of command ceremony held in Heritage Hall at...

Col. William Krahling, new commander of the Army Sustainment Command's Distribution Management Center, is interviewed by WHBF-TV Channel 4 (CBS) reporter John Gerding, following a change of command ceremony held in Heritage Hall at Rock Island Arsenal...

(From left) Karris, Koury, and Kassidie Harmon sing the national anthem at the Army Sustainment Command's Distribution Management Center change of command ceremony held in Heritage Hall at Rock Island Arsenal, Ill., July 9.

Maj. Gen. John Wharton, commanding general of Army Sustainment Command and Rock Island Arsenal, passes the DMC guidon to incoming Distribution Management Center commander, Col. William Krahling, at a change of command ceremony held in Heritage Hall at...

Col. William Krahling, new commander of the Army Sustainment Command's Distribution Management Center, is interviewed by WHBF-TV Channel 4 (CBS) reporter John Gerding, following a change of command ceremony held in Heritage Hall at Rock Island Arsenal...

(From left) Karris, Koury, and Kassidie Harmon sing the national anthem at the Army Sustainment Command's Distribution Management Center change of command ceremony held in Heritage Hall at Rock Island Arsenal, Ill., July 9.

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ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- The Army Sustainment Command's Distribution Management Center welcomed its new leader at a change of command ceremony held in Heritage Hall here July 9.

The event, originally scheduled to be held on the front lawn of Quarters 1, was moved inside due to inclement weather.

Maj. Gen. John Wharton, commanding general of Army Sustainment Command and Rock Island Arsenal, presided over the ceremony in which Col. Victor Harmon relinquished command to Col. William Krahling.

Krahling arrives from Carlisle Barracks, Pa., where he was a student at the Army War College. Harmon's next assignment will be as the Force Sustainment Division chief at the Army Human Resources Command at Fort Knox, Ky.

During his remarks, Wharton praised Harmon for his efforts as DMC commander.

"When you took command on July 14, 2011, you were handed a unit in the midst of a major transformation," Wharton said. "The stage had already been set to develop it into ASC's eighth brigade, and it was your responsibility to move it to the next level, organize the DMC into the Army's materiel and distribution center.
"Vic, we'll miss you around here -- your amiable personality and your ready smile," Wharton continued. "When you went out into the community to speak, we could not have asked for a better ambassador. You were a very effective link between ASC and our local citizens. You represent the best that the Army has to offer, and we are better for having had you here among us."

Harmon thanked and praised members of ASC and the DMC Team.

"It is hard to believe that two years have gone by so quickly. It has truly been an honor for me to command this unit," Harmon said. "Everything the team does has a direct impact on the Army at large and I couldn't be more proud of the many accomplishments of DMC over the past two years.

Wharton also welcomed Krahling aboard as the new DMC commander.

"You come highly regarded and uniquely qualified to command the DMC," Wharton said. "You've got the right mix of 'muddy boots' time and command and staff assignments. You are the right person to build on Vic's successes in this brigade. Get in there, get your feet wet, and enjoy this exciting command."

Krahling, a Minnesota native, said he is humbled by his new position.

"It is truly an honor to stand before you as the new Distribution Management Center commander. It's really a duty I don't take lightly," Krahling said. "An opportunity to command some of America's finest Soldiers and Department of the Army civilians is truly a pleasure."

The commander of troops was Maj. Jerald Swanson, DMC, and the narrator was Capt. Brianna Maier, also of DMC.

Three of Harmon's children Kassidie, Karris, and Koury, sang the national anthem. Harmon's other daughter, Kaycie, a junior at Howard University in Washington, D.C., was unable to attend the ceremony.

Additional photos of the ceremony can be found on the ASC Flickr page. Go to the ASC homepage at: http://www.aschq.army.mil/home/ then click on the Flickr icon found in the Social Media box on the lower-left portion of the page.